OMRO (NBC 26) — A weekly protest against the Trump Administration brought out a group of counter-protesters, as well as a bipartisan push to collect donations for the local food pantry.
- Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters have been gathering at Scott Park in Omro every Thursday for the past couple weeks.
- The groups came together to collect donations for the food pantry.
- The food will be donated to the Omro Community Food Pantry.
(The following is a copy of the broadcast script, edited for web).
On one side of the street, a group of people gather to protest the Trump Administration.
“I've been a Democrat for most of my adult life, probably all my adult life," Pam Pfister, a local democrat, says. "Seems to be all about what's good for him and his pocketbook, and that's frustrating me to say the least.”
On the other side of the street, is a group with opposing views.
“But he's doing his job, and that's why I voted for him, because he'll do his job," Mark Schmick, an Omro Republican who voted for Trump, says.
But between the two groups, is a bit of common ground.
"We decided to do a food drive. We're just sitting out here twiddling our fingers, you know, and listening to horns blow," Schmick says. "So we thought, if we're going to do something, let's make it worthwhile and for them that are less fortunate, seeing the government shut down."
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The two groups came together to raise donations for the Omro Community Food Pantry while they protest.
“Because of the SNAP benefits being cut, because the food pantry is always in need of more food. It was a really great idea," Pfister says.
It's a moment of across-the-aisle cooperation.
"You dont have to hate on each other to disagree with somebody," Pfister says.
Pfister and Schmick say there are more important things than who you voted for.
"I have people that I care about very much who voted for Trump," Pfister says. "I don't hate on them. I am angry with the national level of the administration. People who voted for him had a reason. I don't get it, I don't agree with it, but they had a reason.”
“I have coffee with a Democrat every morning at six o'clock," Schmick says. "That's what I love about Omro. It's just a small town. Everybody gets along.”
Both groups say they plan to come back next Thursday to continue their protests and the community food drive.
